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THE SECONDSINO - JAPANESE WAR

A Presentation by Reece Naukana - Christensen

PRE – WAR MANEUVERS1931 - 1937

• Japanese troops invade Manchuria, a province North of China.• China was at the time

very unstable, recently undergoing a regime change.• The Republic of China

was fractured and was built around rival warlords

Japanese troops marching through Shenyang, a large city in southern Manchuria

MARCO POLO BRIDGE INCIDENTJULY 7, 1937 – AUGUST 9, 1937

• Japanese and Chinese forces exchange fire outside of Lugou (Marco Polo Bridge) Just outside of Beijing• Cease-fire is called on

July 9, however the treaty is quickly broken• By July 25 the

Japanese sack the cities of Beijing and Tianjin

Marco Polo Bridge, a key transit system into Beijing, the bridge lies 15 km southwest of the city.

THE BATTLE OF SHANGHAIAUGUST 13, 1937 – NOVEMBER 1937

• Chairman Kai-shek feels that the Japanese are close to breaking• He then musters a massive

force to expel the Japanese from Shanghai

Chiang Kai-shek, a Chinese political and military leader, led the Chinese forces.

The Japanese land over 200,000 troops to retake the city. They eventually succeed, but the losses are staggering.

THE RAPE OF NANKINGDECEMBER 13, 1937 – JANUARY 1938

• Chiang Kai-shek knew that the Japanese would take Nanking, the capital of China

• He hopes to wear down the Japanese forces and Kai-shek abandons the city

• Because of the victory Japanese field generals continue to push into China

When the Japanese enter the city they begin to rape and pillage the city. Over 300,000 citizens are massacred, and tens of thousands of women are raped.

CLOSE OF THE WARJANUARY 1938 - 1941

• The Japanese take their first defeats

• With casualties mounting the Japanese lead a massive air campaign, killing millions

• In response to this the Chinese make one last offensive, which leads to the destruction of the Chinese Army

Chinese forces were not used to modern warfare, and lacked the industrial and resource backing that the Japanese had. Because of this China would continue to be occupied until 1945.